Tetsurō Kuroo
is a third year student from Nekoma High. He is the Nekoma High Boys' Volleyball Club's captain and a Middle Blocker, known as the "Scheming Captain". Appearance Kuroo is noted to be tall and thin with a muscular but still slender frame, encouraging the nickname "lanky" from Hinata. Kuroo's features appear sly, with narrowed eyes and cat-like pupils. His black hair is in a 'bed-head' style as described by Kenma, with fringe on his right side that partially covers his right eye. He is often seen wearing a black shirt, red sweat pants, and the Nekoma High jacket. During official matches, he wears the Nekoma uniform numbered with a '1.' Personality He has a laid-back yet scheming personality, and is considered a "provocation expert." This talent is demonstrated in the way he angers Tsukishima during the Tokyo Expedition Arc. However, he apologized to Daichi about the provocation later on. Background He grew up in the same neighborhood and went to the same junior high and high school as Kenma. He has played volleyball since the beginning of junior high, possibly even before, as he has been seen practicing with Kenma, in either one of their backyards, when they were younger which was shown in flashbacks. He used to watch professional volleyball and mimicked moves he saw, later showing them to Kenma. He convinced Kenma to join their middle school's volleyball team and they have played volleyball together since then. Plot Karasuno High Team Formation Arc Karasuno heads off to training camp. After hesitating to decide on a starting lineup, Ukai goes with Daichi, Nishinoya, Asahi, Tanaka, Tsukishima, Kageyama, and Hinata. Ukai reveals that Nekoma doesn't have any outstanding players, but they are a team that thrives on receives and kills. The practice match day arrives; Nekoma and Karasuno line up outside and meet each other face-to-face. Nekoma and Karasuno begin their match with Kageyama and Hinata performing a quick attack that gives Karasuno the lead in the match. Nekoma realizes that they're up against a genius setter, so they decide to start marking Hinata. After a while, Hinata's blocker gets used to his speed and feints and slowly begins to block Hinata's quicks, allowing Nekoma to win the first set (25-22). In the second set, while Nekoma leads, Kuroo demonstrates a rare move called the personal time difference attack, which thwarts the Karasuno blockers and gives Nekoma a 4-point lead (20-16). The match is won by Nekoma (25-23). Tokyo Expedition Arc After their bitter defeat in the Inter-High, Karasuno, along with Nekoma High and Fukurōdani Academy, the best volleyball team in Tokyo, all gather for training camp before the Spring Tournament. Kuroo practices blocking with Bokuto, Akaashi and Tsukishima. Statistics Like the rest of the team, Kuroo is flexible and pretty efficient with receiving. Whenever he feels it, he can pull off a jump serve that can put pressure on his opponents. 'Powerful Blocker' As stated by Coach Ukai, Kuroo is a master blocker, even to the point where he can easily block Bokuto's spikes–the latter being one of the top five spikers in the country. Personal Time Difference Attack Starting in middle school, Kuroo picked up personal time difference attacks from watching volleyball matches on television. It is a move that tricks the blockers into thinking that the spiker will perform a quick. After delaying their jump, the spiker would jump when the blockers were "faked out." He excitedly showed it to Kenma, who was confused as to what it is. Kuroo was enthusiastic and confident that by the time they reached high-school, they will have mastered it. What he said is true, because during the practice match between Nekoma and Karasuno, Kuroo successfully tricks the blockers, demonstrating his personal time difference attack. During the training camp, Kuroo shows Tsukishima how to do a personal time difference attack as well as tips on how to block more effectively. Tsukishima utilizes the personal time difference attack during the Spring Tournament against Shiratorizawa Academy. Relationships Kenma Kozume Kuroo has known Kenma ever since they were young; the two of them grew up together since they live nearby the same neighbourhood. They have been shown in flashbacks practising volleyball together when they were kids. Kuroo suggested for Kenma to join the volleyball team in middle school and stay for high school. Around Kenma's first year, he wanted to quit the volleyball team due to the harsh treatment from the seniors, but Kuroo convinced him to stay, telling him that he is an important part of the team and that the rest of their first and second years teammates agree as well. Kuroo also always looks after Kenma; finding him when he was lost during the training camp. In the cross team match game, Kenma has stated that he had never failed a test because Kuroo teaches him before tests. Kōtarō Bokuto Kuroo and Bokuto appear to be good friends, seemingly knowing one another quite well and often teaming up in their antics. Although Kuroo is more sensible than Bokuto, and will sometimes turn on Bokuto, they often share similar reactions to events unfolding before them. While he and Bokuto have a rather competitive relationship at times (despite being mostly trivial), they seem to enjoy each other's company. Kuroo practices with Bokuto and Akaashi at the training camp, despite being on a different team, suggesting that they must actually be quite close. Kei Tsukishima Kuroo taunts Tsukishima into practicing blocking and begins teaching Tsukishima blocking techniques during the Tokyo training camp. He likes to throw taunts and jeers at Tsukishima to rile him up, simultaneously giving him advice on how to improve. When someone asks him why he gives Tsukishima so much advice, he responded that he wanted Karasuno to improve so they could have an official volleyball match against each other. Suguru Daishō They appear to be longtime rivals and enjoy mocking each other. They also seem to have a mutual hatred for one another. Despite that, they acknowledge their respective teams' abilities and have challenged each other to meet at the Spring High finals. Trivia * His hair sticks up like that because it's his natural bedhead, according to Kenma. ** Kenma had also stated that this happens because Kuroo sleeps on his stomach while pressing two pillows onto both his ears and his hair. * Kenma thinks that his pre-match speeches, and famous quote "we're like blood in our veins...", makes him look stupid. * When Kuroo was younger, he would pick up new volleyball techniques from watching matches on TV and show them off to Kenmachapter 32. * Favorite Food: Grilled salted mackerel pike. * Current Concern: Can't get rid of his bedhead hair. * Unlike Yaku, he prefers fish, girls with long hair, sweet curry, Mikasa volleyballs, and going to the sea during the summer. * In Haikyuu's first popularity poll, Kuroo placed in 6th with 4035 votes. In the second, he placed 8th with 6511 votes. * His star sign is Scorpio. * He is in a college prep class. * It has been theorized that Kuroo could possibly be ambidextrous as he has been shown spiking with both hands in the manga. However, Furudate has stated he/she has occasionally drawn right-handed players spiking with their left hand due to drawing while half-asleepMonthly Volleyball 2014 March Issue. * In the official English sub of the anime his name is written as 'Kuro'. *'Nomenclature': **Tetsurō (鉄朗) - Iron Cheerfulness **Kuroo (黒尾) - Black Tail Quotes * "We're like the blood in our veins. We must flow without stopping. Keep the oxygen moving and your mind working." (To the Nekoma Team before their practice match against Karasuno, Season 1, Episode 12) * "A “personal time difference attack”! It’s an offensive technique we can’t use yet, but if we practice it a lot from here on out, around the time we’re in high school, I’m sure that it’ll become one of our most magnificent special moves!" (''To Kenma, Chapter 32) * "''You Kenma and Lev are like oil and water; you guys don't mix very well." (To Kenma, The Arrival of Haiba Lev) * "..Isn't it more fun having enemies you can't seem to beat?" (To Kenma, The Arrival of Haiba Lev) * "Then, isn't it best to attack before being attacked? They do say offense is the best defense, right?" (To Kenma, The Arrival of Haiba Lev) * "Oho ho ho?" (Chapter 89) (Although in the Japanese raws, the quote is "Oya oya oya?") * "''I'm always this kind." ''(To Tsukishima, Season 2, Episode 9) References Category:Characters Category:Male Characters Category:Nekoma High Volleyball Club Category:Middle Blockers Category:Captains Category:3rd Year